Ho Chi Minh City police on Monday arrested 11 people in a phone scam ring accused of cheating many Vietnamese people out of more than VND2.5 billion (US$112,200).
The arrestees include the Taiwanese alleged kingpin Liu En Hsiang, 26.
Hsiang confessed that he and four other Taiwanese men entered Vietnam in February with tourist visas. In Vietnam, they managed to get six locals involved in their scam.
The gang often called the victims and pretended to be investigators. They questioned the victims for having suspiciously huge phone bills and accused them of being involved in drug or money laundering crimes.
The “officers” continued to threaten them into transferring money to an account for investigation.
The Vietnamese members were tasked with opening bank accounts to get the money from the victims.
Police are investigating the case further.